Riverton May 12 Art Gala/Silent Auction Fundraiser for Playscape

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Riverton May 12 Art Gala/Silent Auction Fundraiser for Playscape

Posted on 05/01/2017

On Friday, May 12, Riverton Elementary School will hold a “red carpet” Art Gala and Silent Auction to raise funds to create a natural playscape that children of all abilities can enjoy. The area will also have benches to allow families to gather and play together.

The event will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the school, located at 1600 Forest Avenue. Available for viewing at the Art Gala will be about 400 pieces of student artwork. Communal works of art created by each classroom will be auctioned off in the Silent Auction, as will such items as baskets of books and relaxation items and gift certificates to restaurants. There will be a bake sale as well.

The school also has set up a GoFundMe page to assist with fundraising for the project, which has a $50,000 goal. The link to that page is: https://www.gofundme.com/38s2xvmk

Riverton currently has one playground for about 450 students. It was built 12 years ago and is designed for children age 7-12. It has just one handicapped swing and children in wheelchairs find the playground difficult to navigate.

Plans call for building the new playscape on an open hill in the front of the school, near classrooms for the school’s youngest children, in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade. The playscape would also be near classrooms for students in the school’s Bridge program, which serves a number of students with physical handicaps.

The new playscape would be wheelchair friendly and more accessible for students with disabilities. Also, said Riverton pre-K teacher Jennifer Seed, “Our current play structure is not designed for young kids and is so far away, so we want something closer and more developmentally appropriate.”

Seed said that staff and the PTO have joined together to try to create a play space “that will foster children’s imaginations and lead to active, imaginative play.”

She said the natural playscape would include a “river” made of sand, with a boat and a bridge. There also will be an observation deck, plantings, stump and rock climbs and benches. “Riverton is a community center, used about 15 hours a day, all year round,” Seed said. “We are trying to create a family play space, where parents can hang out as well.”

She said there will a red carpet leading into the Art Gala, so attendees are urged to wear their finery.

More information about the project can be found on the school’s website by clicking HERE.